US Typhon In Japan Stirs A Missile Storm On China's Doorstep

2025-09-17 02:03:00

(MENAFN- Asia Times) By wheeling the Typhon missile system into Japan, the US has planted a mobile, multi-mission spear at China's doorstep-extending strike range even as its bulky footprint invites satellite surveillance, missile attacks and drone swarms.

This month, multiple media outlets reported that the US Army has deployed its Typhon mid-range missile system to Japan for the first time, unveiling it at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture as part of the two sides' annual Resolute Dragon joint exercise.

The system, which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors with ranges of up to 1,600 kilometers, enables strikes from Japan on China's populous and economically vital eastern seaboard as well as parts of Russia.

Its temporary stationing comes amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, with more than 19,000 US and Japanese troops participating in the two-week drill focused on maritime and island defense.

The Typhon deployment follows earlier tests in Australia and stationing in the Philippines, moves that highlight the US's efforts to counter China's expanding missile arsenal after the lapse of Cold War-era arms control limits.

Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the US Army's 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), said Typhon's mobility and mix of munitions“create dilemmas for the enemy” by allowing rapid forward positioning.

China condemned the move as a threat to regional security, while Russia labeled it destabilizing and accused Japan of militarization. Beijing aired similar complaints when Typhon was deployed to the Philippines.

Although the battery will reportedly be removed from Japan after the exercise, US officials have signaled Typhon's broader role in bolstering deterrence and long-range precision strike capabilities across the Pacific.

If left in Japan, as the system was after similar drills in the Philippines, Typhon could complement Japan's nascent counterstrike capabilities.

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